1 / 3Cayton Children's Museum
π Downtown, CA
Interactive children's museum with 21,000 square feet of discovery-based exhibits designed for ages 0-8. Features real helicopters, art studios, and miniature marketplace for creative exploration.
We had a great time at a birthday party at the Cayton Childrenβs Museum! This place is full of fun, hands-on exhibits and creative play areas that kept the kids entertained for hours on end. Thereβs enough to see and do, and everything is designed to be both engaging and educational! Itβs super convenient, located right inside a shopping center, so thereβs plenty of safe parking, plus restaurants and shops nearby to continue your day of fun. The staff were great, so patient and helpful! They went out of their way to help us find my daughterβs phone after she accidentally left it in the bathroom. Talk about great service! The museum itself is really clean, modern, and beautifully decorated. The bright colors and thoughtful design create a fun and welcoming atmosphere for both kids and adults alike. I recommend this place for families, parties, or just a lovely day out with little ones. Weβre giving it 5 stars for sure!
π Family Action Verdict
This is an excellent choice for families with young children who want educational entertainment that can last 2+ hours. The museum works particularly well for birthday parties and rainy day activities, with dedicated areas for babies/toddlers. Just plan ahead with ticket booking and allow extra time for parking navigation in the busy Santa Monica mall.
βΉοΈ What to Know Before You Go
π¬ What Families Are Saying
View all reviews β1,000 Google reviews
ludy casey
9 months ago
βWe had a great time at a birthday party at the Cayton Childrenβs Museum! This place is full of fun, hands-on exhibits and creative play areas that kept the kids entertained for hours on end. Thereβs enough to see and do, and everything is designed to be both engaging and educational! Itβs super convenient, located right inside a shopping center, so thereβs plenty of safe parking, plus restaurants and shops nearby to continue your day of fun. The staff were great, so patient and helpful! They went out of their way to help us find my daughterβs phone after she accidentally left it in the bathroom. Talk about great service! The museum itself is really clean, modern, and beautifully decorated. The bright colors and thoughtful design create a fun and welcoming atmosphere for both kids and adults alike. I recommend this place for families, parties, or just a lovely day out with little ones. Weβre giving it 5 stars for sure!β
ARIN OTUKS
a month ago
βPerfect location and a great space. The boys loved it, and we were so happy we found this place. There were so many activities to keep them engaged, and they had an absolute blast, from the fire truck to the helicopter to the food van. We moved through the space for over an hour. Being able to bring water inside was a nice touch, with the only restriction being no food or drinks that could stain. We will definitely be back! In addition, Itβs slightly cheaper to buy your tickets ahead of time so do so. I got mine online while there.β
Angie Salazar
6 months ago
βLoved this place! Fun and interactive for the kiddos! Parking is a little confusing, and I would recommend buying your tickets in advance. They have a lovely little area for breastfeeding/pumping. Thereβs a little area for babies/toddlers which I loved! I just carried my own sanitizing wipes for my kids π β
Kimmie
2 months ago
βNice little experience we spent like 2 hours here. Non profit so no refunds if you purchase an extra ticket before hand for someone. If you have wic you can go in at a discount so better to pay at desk if that's the case but otherwise a 2 dollar discount for buying tickets in advance from 18 to 16. They also offer a year pass. No validation but for being in santa Monica it was not over the top expensive i think it was 17 for 5 hours But it like 2 blocks from beach and its within the mall so if you really want to you can make it an all day thing.. Im like an hour away without traffic so we ended up leaving around 4 (traffic hour!!)β
Reviews from Google
Overview
The Cayton Children's Museum offers hands-on exhibits including a real helicopter, miniature marketplace, fire truck, art studios, and theater space across 21,000 square feet. Located in Santa Monica, this discovery-based museum focuses on creative play and learning for children ages 0-8, with dedicated areas for toddlers and popular birthday party options.



